Document-file.



J. BOSWELL & B. PEARL.

DOCUMENT FILE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, 1913.

1,079,100, Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

sinus Parana cannon.

JOHN BOSWELL AND EUGENE PEARL, 0 NEW YORK, N. Y.

DOCUMENT-FILE.

LWYQAUH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1 8,1913.

Application filed April 14. 1913. Serial No. 761,108.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN BOSWELL and EUGENE PEARL, citizens of the United States,and residing, respectively,in the city of New York, county andState of the same name, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Document-Files, of which the following is a specification. t

This invention relates to improvements in document files and particularly to thatclass adapted to bedlsposed wlthin drawers or other suitable inclosures in which the papers are held vertically. I

One object is to provide such files so ar ranged that documents placed in folders properly tabbed or indexed can he found with unusual readiness and withdrawn or entered without waste of time.

Another object is to provide a file that while effectually supporting papers, offers no impediment to their removal, cannot mutilate, mark or crease the same and which occupies a negligible amount of space.

A. third object s to provide means for filing that are practically indestructible, l e-' ing fireproof, capable of long and conlziir nous service and which may be readily moved with their contents intact fromplacc to place as a unit. And finally, to so arrange the several parts that the whole may' be collapsed into a compact form when empty, as in storage and transportation.

These and other objects are attained by thenovel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the entire apparatus, partially filled in order to illustrate its application. Fig. 2. is a similar View of the apparatus in collapsed or knocked down condition. Fig. 2-5 is a sectional view taken through one of the partition plates, showing themanncr of securing the resilient members, drawn to an en largcd scale. Fig. L is a similar view show ing the plate hinging means, also drawn to an enlarged scale and, Fig. 5 is a frag mentary perspective view showing a modification inconstruction. The apparatus consists of two strips 10 of .of any sheet metal adapted to rest upon the bottom desired drawer, box or other inclosurc that will contain the papers to he filed; these strips are made of such length as to nearly or quite make contact with the front and rear end walls so that the device may not move longitudinally therein. intervals the material is pressed so as to form open loops 11 upon their upper surface to admit of the passage thrirothrough of rods 12 which extend lengthwise through the semi-circular turned lower edges 13 of the thin metal partition plates 15, a slot or recess 14 being cut out of the described turned edge to acmmmmlate the loops 11. The tops of the plates 1.5 are formed in a similar manner and have extending into the head l6 so formed other rods 17 which also pass through the side bars 18, the latter be ing formed with openings to receive the rods which are distanced apart so as to register with the lower rods 1; and may lc upset at their ends so as to he retained in position; these side bars 18 are preferably made of L shaped sections, the outwardly turned nwmhcr 18' extending over the edge of the drawer or case. Thus it will he soon that the apparatus consists oi a plurality of plates hinged to a pair of members, common to all at their lower edges, and pivotnlly connected with another pair of members at. their upper edges in such manner that the plates may assume nearly a horizontal position as well as stand vertically.

The bending at hoth lop and holtomof the plates provides for the requisite stillness and at the same time presents asmooth surface against which the papers, which the tile may receive, can contact without doliriinent. It will be obvious that the upper rods 17 may take the form of relatively short nu-mhgws and need not necessarily pass entirely through the upperheading.

In order to hold the plates erect, rods 20 are provided. at each side, the same having an upper hent portion 21 formed to pass through one of the openings in the side bars 18, and into the heading on that plate where, if: properly filled, it will act as a pivotin place of one of the mentioned rods 17; the other end also bent in like mailner as at 22 and removably engages for a short distance within the open end of the bead formed at the bottom of a plate remotely located so that the rods 20 form angularly disposed struts, holding the plates vertical when desired, or if the bent portion 22 be withdrawn, allow the apparatus to collapse.

In order to maintain the filed papers in an-erect positionirrespective of the (luau-- tity of contents disposed in any one compartment formed between any two adyacent plates or between the end plates and the inclosing receptacle, fiat elliptical springs 25 are secured in pairs on both sides of each plate, the springs being entirely unconfined at their lower extremities 26 which slide freely on the plate surface and being so formed as to nearly contact at their centers with adjacently disposed springs on succeeding plates; these springs are held in loops 28 on one side, and 29 on the other, formed by pressing the material of the plates in opposite directions until after insertion of the spring ends when the loops are forced inwardly toward the plate, thereby firmly gripping the springs and holding the ends securely against movement in direction.

In the modification shown in Fig. the plates 30 are formed with beads 31 and 32 at the top and bottom respectively and present true, substantially unbroken parallegrams, the upper side bars 83' are substantially the same as those before described and aresecured in likemanncr; at the lower edges are angles 34 through which extend rods 35 practically the same as at the top; in this case the inturned member 36 of the angle acts as a support for the documents and in addition, a flat rectangular bar 37 may be passed through an appropriate opening in the plates forming in effect a grate-like flooring.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the device presented may be readily constructed and is. of such simple nature that an extended description of its application and use is not necessary; it may be pointed out however, that in changing files it is only needed to remove the apparatus as a whole and that in shipping, it can be closed compactly, the elliptical springs being susceptible of assuming a completely flat position between the plates when the'latter are pressed together.

Having thus describedour invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. A file comprised of base members, a plurality of plates hinged transversely thereto at their lower edges, and a pair of oppositely disposed rails pivotally attached at the upper corners of saige plates in such manner asto present unobstructed openings therebetween extending the full length of said plates. l

2. A file comprised of one or more base members, a plurality of plates hinge'dly con nected transversely of said base members, rails pivotally engaging said plates exteriorly of their side edges at their upper outer corners and means foifixedly holding said rails with respect'to said base-members, said holding means being pivotally engaged at each end thereof. i I J 3. In a file, the combination with longitudinally disposed base members and side rails parallel therewith, of plates pivotally engaging at opposite edges with said base I members and said rails respectively, elliptic springs disposed in pairs on both sides of each plate, said springs being attached at one end and struts socombined with said rails and said plates as to hold tl a latter iif vertical position with respect to said base members or to allow the device tobe collapsed.

4. in a device of the character described, in combination with supporting elements,

of a plurality of plates, integrally formed loops raised on opposite sides of'each plate and flat elliptical springs secured in said loops, a portion or each springbeing embraced in the depression formed by the op positely disposed loop.

5. in a file, the combination with base members, loops formed integrally therewith, a plurality of plates, said plates having beaded upper and lower edges, rods passing through the lower headings and said loops, rails at the upper corners of said plates, said rails being perforated at intervals agreeing with said. loops, rods passing through said perforatlons and upper headings and struts arranged to maintain said rails in fixed relation to said plates, one end of said struts being disengagcable.

6. In a file, the combination with a plurality of plates, beaded at the top and bottom, of a pair of angularly formed rail elements pivotally connected at the top edges of said plates, second pair of angularly formed rail elements pivotally connected at the bottom edges of said plates, the latter elements having an inturned portion acting as a partial flooring below said plates.

7. A file having an open top and comprising spaced plate members, rails pivotally attached at the outer upper edges thereof, and members constituting a grated flooring, said members being pivotally engaged along the bottom edges of said plate members.

An open. topped document file comprising a plurality of plate members spaced from each other, rails pivotally attached at 

